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Patrick Doyle Discusses Help From Potter Stars During Battle Against Leukemia
DoyleThere is a new article online where composer Patrick Doyle discusses at length his battle against Leukemia, and the help and encouragement he received from some of the stars of the Harry Potter films. In a very moving piece, Mr. Doyle (who composed the score to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) describes how he at one point sobbed with frustration on the shoulders of actor Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) during the treatments for the acute myeloid leukaemia , an aggressive form of the disease . Mr. Doyle, who is in recovery, says “I rang Ken (Branagh). He came to visit twice a week while I was ill. He would help the hospital staff make tea, and bring in tapes and books for me.”
The composer goes on to tell of fighting depression and the side effects of the treatments, noting that actor Timothy Spall shared with him his own struggle against the illness, saying the Peter Pettigrew actor “had not long recovered from AML himself, having been diagnosed a year or two before, and he helped me lots with advice and encouragement. He’d say: “How’s the diarrhoea? I know, I know. And he did, because he’d been through it.”
During the third round of chemotherapy, Mr. Doyle was struggling badly, and got much welcomed help especially from Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney) who showed up at the hospital, full of mischief and fun to cheer the ailing musician.
Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman came in wearing ginger wigs, speaking with Scottish accents. The ward didn’t know what had hit it.”“From the U.S., Emma sent me a package with a cheap black nylon wig for when my hair fell out, hair restoring cream, a tiny skeleton and a still from a film her husband Greg Wise had just done, showing a mortuary slab.
“She’d written a speech bubble with the words: ‘Oh my God, it’s Patrick!’ The nurses were horrified but I thought it was hilarious. ...
Emma arrived as I’d just been given a drug which made me feel drunk and over-emotional. I kept telling her how much I loved her. She cried with emotion.
Patrick Doyle, who is in recovery from Leukemia, is getting some additional help from the stars of the Harry Potter films. As we told you previously, the composer is holding a charity fundraising concert this weekend that will be hosted by Kenneth Branagh, with Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton (Umbridge) Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) due to attend. The event will also feature Mr. Doyle’s music, including his score to “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” For more on this event due to be held this Sunday, October 28 at Royal Albert Hall in London, England, click here.
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Doyle and Brannagh actually go way back, Patrick composed that amazing score for Kenneth’s Henry V. It’s wonderful to see there’s still such camaraderie between them. All the best, Patrick!
Thats a touching story indeed, wish Patrick well and kudos to the likes of Emma and Rick for using there natural talent to help him recover. And yeah, the British acting community is very much a like a family
sob that is so truly beautiful. The actors and crew truly are family.
Oh my gosh, this is so wonderful, it brought tears to my eyes that the actors- especially Ken Brannagh!- would do such incredible things.
A good friend of mine’s mother passed away last night from a long-suffering breast cancer. He is the third friend I’ve had whose parent has died from cancer, and leukimia is just as terrible. It really is just awful that there is no immediate cure, but let’s hope and pray to find one and be thankful for those of us who are in good health!
Aw, it really makes me feel good that there are such kind people out there who do things like that for people they’ve worked with.
Emma and Alan in ginger wigs! That really must have brightened Doyle’s day :]
wow. thats really neat. a lot of people think that you know, that the entertainment industry isn’t important, but because they are all so closely watched, the do set an example for us. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good, but we learn from them, and these actors have been doing amazing things for their friends, and I think the world will take notice, and hopefully follow their example of selflessness and compassion. great job!
wow. thats really neat. a lot of people think that you know, that the entertainment industry isn’t important, but because they are all so closely watched, the do set an example for us. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good, but we learn from them, and these actors have been doing amazing things for their friends, and I think the world will take notice, and hopefully follow their example of selflessness and compassion. great job!
While “Goblet” is my least favorite of the 5 scores so far, I still wish Mr. Doyle well. Any kind of chemo is absolute hell. I’m glad he has such talented friends to come and cheer him up.
I didn’t realize that Doyle did the Henry V soundtrack. It’s fantastic music!
How lovely for him to have friends to pitch in a help, with hysterical humor, solid commitment, and great empathy. If ya gotta fight cancer, those are are good qualities and people to have around ya!
Best wishes to you Mr Doyle. I hope all goes well for you.
I am in tears. It is so overwhelming that Mr Doyle has such wonderful friends. Mr Rickman, Mr Branagh (I hope I spelled that right) and Ms Thomson are wonderful. I wish Mr Doyle a speedy recovery and all the best. He has some fine friends, and YES, the British Acting Community is quite close. There are times when I wish we here, “across the pond”, were as close! Godspeed, Mr Doyle!
Is anyone is going to this concert? I really want to but I’m a uni student and the rest of my new friends can’t afford it ;) [And I’m the one with the lowest family income, mwahaha..]
Haha whoops, brain wasn’t switched on then… I didn’t even noticed that I’d just typed the same thing [i.e. my email address] in twice!
I had no idea that he was suffering from this disease. We wish you well!
Doyle’s music is fantastic and Goblet’s score was just excellent. Glad to see all the support he’s getting.
I just think it’s wonderful that there are such good people in the world. The fact that they portray some of my favorite characters is just a nice bonus.
His music is amazing. Especially his work in Goblet Of Fire. I hope he recovers soon.
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Reading stuff like this makes me realize how close knit all of these british actors are. From the comfortable chair of the movie theatre I sort of imagine their relationships to be strictly professional but behind the curtains there’s true friendship to be had. Good luck to Mr. Doyle on his recovery.